"When Tom Asacker writes, I read.

/ Tom PeterS /

Have you ever heard, or been asked, this question? “If your organization, or brand, were a car, what make or model would it be and why?” No? You’re very lucky. I’ve heard it a lot. In fact, too many times to count.

Two recent studies on depression made me think about organizations. One found that young adults diagnosed with major depressive disorder have hyper-connected brain networks. Especially in the areas associated with rumination.

It’s still highly debated. But most neuroscientists agree. Our decisions boil down to three types. Pavlovian. Reflexive and automatic behavior. Like plopping down in front of the TV with a bag of chips.

You know this, intuitively. You’re aware that people have far too many choices to deal with. Too much information to process, most of which is conflicting. And, they simply don’t trust information from business people. But you persist.

In the book Human Motivation, Harvard psychology professor David McClelland points to three things that drive everyone. Achievement, the desire to compete against increasingly challenging goals. Affiliation, the desire to be liked and loved.

Success in the marketplace of products, services, causes and ideas is driven by scarcity. Always has been and always will be. But achieving scarcity is a very different pursuit in today’s chaotic, connected and rapidly evolving marketplace.

The great management philosopher Peter Drucker was almost right. He wrote, “What the business thinks it produces is not of first importance. What the consumer thinks he is buying, what he considers ‘value’ is decisive.”